as in nominal
so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention
offered her guest only one measly cookie
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Recent Examples of measly
Now they’re done after managing one measly playoff win.
—
James Mirtle, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Audiences stayed on the ride, giving a film made on a measly $4.5 million budget a substantial $45.4 million worldwide take at the box office.
—EW.com, 28 Apr. 2025
And in fairness, these devices have lasted far beyond Google's measly five-year commitment.
—Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2025
The new deck team does an excellent job docking the boat, and at the tip meeting, each crew member banks $1,153 from a measly $15,000 total tip, which the captain assures is not reflective of their good work through the weekend.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for measly
James Mirtle, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Audiences stayed on the ride, giving a film made on a measly $4.5 million budget a substantial $45.4 million worldwide take at the box office.
—EW.com, 28 Apr. 2025
And in fairness, these devices have lasted far beyond Google's measly five-year commitment.
—Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2025
The new deck team does an excellent job docking the boat, and at the tip meeting, each crew member banks $1,153 from a measly $15,000 total tip, which the captain assures is not reflective of their good work through the weekend.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for measly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for measly
Adjective
-
The main question of contemporary cinema isn’t (pace the nominal avant-garde) whether to tell a story but what story to tell, how to tell it, and, for that matter, what a story is.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
20 May 2025
-
Here’s why: Although technical specifications are still being worked out, the new standard could deliver nominal peak data rates of more than 40Gbps.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
20 May 2025
Adjective
-
By virtue of no state income tax, Florida, Tampa Bay, Vegas, Dallas and Nashville do enjoy a slight competitive advantage, but the first 14 Cup champions of the cap era didn’t share that same edge.—
Murat Ates,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
-
Injuries can range from a slight stretching of the ligament to a complete tear, where the knee becomes unstable.—
Paul McClure
May 31,
New Atlas,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
The former Dixon comptroller embezzled nearly $54 million from the tiny town to fund a lavish lifestyle.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2025
-
Every detail is analyzed to maximize sound quality, Maserati says, down to the tiniest features.—
Kristin Shaw,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
Adjective
-
This season, in 53 games, Harris has a .223 batting average with three home runs and a paltry .255 on-base percentage.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
29 May 2025
-
Things haven’t been much better in Manchester, who start the match week at a paltry 16th.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Measly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/measly. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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